Question

Why might the European colonial powers have preferred to place in leadership positions members of the minority Tutsis rather than members of the majority Hutus?

Answer 1

The European colonial powers preferred to place members of the minority Tutsis in leadership positions in Rwanda, based on their belief in cultural superiority, exploitation of existing customs, and their own biases and prejudices.

Step-by-step explanation:

The European colonial powers preferred to place members of the minority Tutsis in leadership positions rather than members of the majority Hutus for several reasons:

1. Cultural Superiority: Europeans believed that their military success over colonized people demonstrated their cultural superiority. They developed theories of scientific racism and Social Darwinism, which justified their belief in the inherent superiority of certain races over others.
2. Previous African Customs: Europeans took advantage of existing African customs and tribal animosities to divide the colonized Africans. In Rwanda, the Belgians noted the existence of separate castes, and they decided to favor the Tutsis, who were cattle-raising and seemed more physically attractive to the Europeans.
3. Divisions and Prejudices: Europeans created or reinforced divisions and prejudices among the African populations based on their own biases. The European colonial powers saw the Tutsis as more favorable leaders based on their physical traits and perceived superiority.

Answer 2

European colonial powers favored Tutsis for leadership due to their belief in their natural superiority and to manipulate ethnic divides, contributing to eventual genocide post-independence.

Step-by-step explanation:

The European colonial powers may have preferred to place minority Tutsis in leadership positions over the majority Hutus for several reasons. A central factor was the European belief in scientific racism and Social Darwinism which led them to interpret physical differences, such as height and appearance, as indicators of the Tutsis’ supposed natural superiority. Europeans also sought to exploit existing customs and animosities, intentionally deepening divides to better control colonized populations through a 'divide and rule' strategy. In Rwanda, this policy led to the Tutsis holding disproportionate power, which sowed further discord and ultimately contributed to the devastating genocide against the Tutsis after the Hutus seized control post-independence.

Following independence, the legacy of these European colonial strategies played out tragically. The Rwandan Genocide of 1994 was a direct result of the ethnic tension that had been exacerbated by European colonial rule, resulting in almost a million Tutsis being killed by their fellow countrymen in a government-orchestrated ethnic cleansing. This horrific event, and others like it in the region, highlighted the long-lasting and destructive impact of colonialism on African nations’ political and social structures.